


The worst of days

by BrittaR (Taaya)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Broken Bones, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27101755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taaya/pseuds/BrittaR
Summary: As if the day hadn't been bad enough. After a hard day of teaching, Snape is the last thing you need, isn't he?
Relationships: Severus Snape/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 69





	The worst of days

It had been a horrible day for you so far. In your first lesson of the day a fifth year student had dropped a whole pile of books that crashed down onto your feet before you could use a spell to stop them. More than one bone broke, but you had no time make a trip to the hospital wing, not for something as insignificant as broken toes. There were classes to teach.

Classes like the second years who decided it would be a good day to play a prank on you. They actually magically glued you to your chair. Easy to rectify, but annoying nonetheless.

And then there was this seven year student who was about to fail all his exams. You knew it and he knew it and he knew that you knew. You were sure he didn't mean to, he was just stressed and anxious. But when he called you slurs, something inside you broke. You tried to always be there for your students, to be a friend for them, and this was how they repaid you? It hurt worse than it should have. Worse than you liked to admit to yourself.

At the end of the working day you dragged yourself into the teacher’s lounge, limping a little because you still hadn’t found the time to have your toes mended. You first wanted to talk to the head of the house your seven year was in. Not so much to have him reprimanded, but to find him some help. Help you didn’t have the energy to give him anymore, not after what he had said.

Professor Sprout wasn’t there, though. Probably still lost somewhere inside one of her greenhouses, repotting plants. She had a tendency to lose track of time when she was with her plants.

„Y/N, if I might say so, you look awful. Is anything the matter?“ While Pomona wasn’t there, the room was anything but empty and unfortunately you didn’t go unnoticed. Minerva came up to you and handed you a mug of steaming hot tea. And despite yourself, you told her. You told her everything about this worst day of your life. About how it was even worse than your own exams in fifth and seventh year a few years back. Worse than the time a bludger had knocked you out, although you had only been in the audience of the game.

„You are too soft-hearted. A better teacher would have dragged their little backsides to detention and let them rot there for the rest of the year.“ Of course it had not been Minerva who voiced that ‚advice‘. Severus Snape had listened to your conversation. Of all the teachers …

You liked Snape, maybe even more... His biting sarcasm had brightened many days for you and you loved bantering and bickering with him. And rationally you knew that this might only have been bait as well. But after a day like this you were too exhausted to listen to rational thinking. All that you could hear was that you weren’t a good teacher. He voiced what that nagging feeling inside you had told you all day. And right now you couldn’t take that, especially not from him.

You turned on your heel and rushed out, as fast as you could with broken toes. You didn’t even notice that you had dropped the mug in your hands.

And you didn’t listen to Minerva’s biting tone when she started reprimanding him: „Really, Severus…“

He found you crying in an abandoned corridor and sat down next to you, not knowing what to say. Severus felt awful for hurting you, that hadn't been what he had wanted, not really. On normal days you wouldn't have taken his teasing for real. But today was no normal day, was it?

„It's cold“, was all that came to his mind. And really, it was cold in here. As none of the classrooms and offices in this corridor were being used at the moment, there was no heating spell at work. And somebody probably had left a window open when this corridor was vacated.

You just shrugged, but only moments later you felt his cloak being put around your shoulders and Severus pulling you into his side.

„I have no experience in… this. Comforting others does not come easily to me. But I do not think that you are a bad teacher.“ He remained silent for a while, before adding: „Given both your status among the students and the results they show in official exams, one could even form the theory that you are, at the very least, a better teacher than I am.“

He wasn’t wrong. Most end of year exams weren’t suitable for comparisons as each teacher created and marked their own exams. You could have just given easier tasks, resulting in a better average. But there was no way to get a good OWL or NEWT ratio of passed exams, if you didn’t actually teach your class well. And your ratio was better than his.

„Why do they all hate me, then?“, you asked him, silently sobbing.

„They don’t. They lack some respect towards you because you are seen as a friend. Friends do tend to play pranks on each other, at least if they are still immature …“ Severus was swallowing down a swear word, you were sure. „Children.“ By the sound of his voice this could have been the worst slur ever invented.

„And if I understood correctly, your toes were broken by accident? Which reminds me…“ Severus stood up only to kneel down in front of you. He carefully opened your shoe laces and took off your shoes and socks. Your feet were an amazing collection of colourful bruises and slightly off looking bones, but: „No open fracture. Easy to heal if you know the right spell.“ Which he did. He took out his wand from inside his sleeve and whispered the spell over and over again, running the tip of his wand lightly up and down your foot. And finally most of the pain was gone.

„Thank you.“ Despite yourself you smiled at him. You were still emotionally exhausted as hell, and the mixture of self doubt and insults continued to sting, but it was better, now that he was with you, not teasing you for once.

„Don’t thank me yet. There are still bruises I need to take care of.“

„You don’t need to, I could just go to Poppy, or …“

Severus wouldn’t even let you finish your sentence. He lifted you up, causing you to put your arms around his neck in reflex. But he didn’t even pay attention to the fact that your face was mere inches away from his, but waved his wand and let your socks and shoes levitate and lead the way down to his office.

He sat you down on a comfortable armchair he had conjured and instantly began searching his shelves for the right potions.

„You know, you don’t have to do this? I … I’m no longer angry or upset with you. I … actually I believe that I should apologize to you.“ Did you? The words had left your mouth without you even thinking about it. No, actually you didn’t. He had to know that his teasing wasn’t always appropriate. Somebody had to teach him that lesson, rather sooner than later, for his own good. But the first part was no lie. You were still a little upset, but no longer because of him.

„I know, but I wish to. After all the potions you would get in Hospital Wing are made by me anyway. And…“ He came back and carefully applied a potion onto your bruised skin, then he looked up into your eyes. „I…“ His fingers caressed your now healing foot. Then he shook his head. „It hurt to see you cry. Not just because I was the reason. I am used to causing tears after all. But… You…“

You felt as if you weren't able to breathe, your chest tight with anticipation and anxiety that you misunderstood. „That's called friendship“, you said, smiling down at him.

„Possible. I have never seen Albus cry, therefore I have no possible comparison.“ He smiled one of his rare smiles that weren't sarcastic or snarky. „But I assume… Would you care for a butterbeer someday?“

„Like… a date?“

His face fell. „Not if you don't want to. I am perfectly capable of going out with colleagues as well.“

„I want to go on a date with you! At least if you want to“, you said a little too loudly. You reached for his hands and pulled him up to you, pressing a light kiss onto his lips.

Severus blinked and looked overwhelmed. You didn't know he could blush but now observed red spots building on his pale skin.

„But first I have to take care of a certain student.“ After all that boy needed help, and now you felt ready to find him some - just not yourself, not again.

Severus woke from his stupor. „No, first you have to heal. No work today, and I would recommend doing something you love. Take a bath, read a good book, or get some much deserved sleep.“ Now his smile looked diabolic. „I will take over your office hours. Healer's orders.“

You didn't know what Severus had done to the students that might have tried to talk to you that day. But never again did any of them dare to insult you - and while they still played pranks, from then on they made sure to only plan those, you all could laugh about together.


End file.
